AYR MOUNTHISTORIC SITE

376 St. Mary’s Road, Hillsborough, NC 27278(919) 732-6886

ayrmount@classicalamericanhomes.org

Ayr Mount Historic Site is listed on the NationalRegister of Historic Places. It has been featured asa top attraction in Hillsborough on TripAdvisor,

Chapel Hill Magazine, VisitChapelHill.com, Our StateMagazine, and VisitNC.com. The house and

furnishings have also been featured in The MagazineANTIQUES and Old House Interiors.

Ayr Mount is a property of Classical American HomesPreservation Trust (CAHPT) and the Richard HamptonJenrette Foundation. CAHPT is a 501(c)3 non-profitorganization that owns and operates this site without anyfederal or state funding. Individual donations to AyrMount help preserve, protect, and open to the public thisexceptional example of classical American architectureand its scenic trails.

www.classicalamericanhomes.org

AYR MOUNTHISTORIC SITE

AND SCENIC TRAILS

AYR MOUNT

AYR MOUNTHISTORIC SITE

AND SCENIC TRAILS

A yr Mount is a Federal-era plantation house built in1815 in Hillsborough, North Carolina by William

Kirkland. Kirkland, named the house in honor of hisbirthplace, Ayr, Scotland. At the time of its construction,Ayr Mount was considered one of the finest residentialstructures in the Piedmont region of North Carolina.Today, Ayr Mount is a house museum with guided tourshighlighting family stories, area history, its extraordinaryarchitecture and landscapes. Interiors include manyoriginal Kirkland family objects as well as museum-quality furniture by Duncan Phyfe from this period. Theproperty consists of 60 acres of gardens, woodlands andpastures. The gardens and grounds surrounding AyrMount, plus the additional scenic trails across the EnoRiver, total nearly 300 acres.

GUIDED HOUSE TOURSOpen for public tours March 15 - December 15

Group tours are available year-round, by appointment only.Wednesday at 11 am

Thursday through Saturday at 11 am and 2 pmSunday at 2 pm

Admission to the house is $12 per person, advanced ticketsare not required. Please meet at the front door a few minutesprior to the tour time. The first floor is wheelchairaccessible. Admission to the grounds is free.

SITE GATES TO AYR MOUNTARE OPEN DAILY

January/February/November/December 9 am - 5 pmMarch/October 9 am - 6 pmApril/May/August/September 9 am - 7 pmJune/July 9 am - 8 pm

Site may be closed without notice for repairs, weather, holidays or special events.

Ayr Mount is also available for weddings, parties, photography, picnics, and special events.

Contact us for rental information.

The grounds at Ayr Mount, where visitors of all agesrelax and enjoy the scenic landscape along the Eno River.

(photo: Kent Murray)

Historic Occoneechee Speedway – HOSTFour miles of trail take you along the banks of the EnoRiver where you’ll walk around the only surviving dirtspeedway from NASCAR’ s inaugural 1949 season. This44-acre site was placed on the National Register ofHistoric Places in May 2002.

James M. Johnston Nature PreserveMountains-to-Sea Trail

This 70-acre parcel is part of a major effort to preserveand connect local and statewide land resources. Twomiles of trails will serve as a link in the Mountains-to-SeaTrail (MST). Upon completion, it will span 1,000 milesacross North Carolina, from the Great Smoky Mountainsto the Outer Banks, weaving through many of the state’smost beautiful places.

Entrance to the trails for HOST and theJames M. Johnston Nature Preserve is located at:

320 Elizabeth Brady Road, Hillsborough, NC

Poet’s WalkThis one-mile walking trail meanders through thewoodlands and pastures surrounding Ayr Mount historichouse. It sweeps alongside the banks of the Eno Riverand features serene riverside lookouts, views of theKirkland family cemetery, the old tavern foundation, andHillsborough’s historic Indian Trading Path.

Entrance to Ayr Mount Historic Houseand Poet’s Walk is located at:

376 St. Mary’s Road, Hillsborough, NC

AYR MOUNTHISTORIC SITE

AND SCENIC TRAILS

We welcome you to visit and experience Ayr Mounthistoric site — tour this elegant early 19th century

home and enjoy the beauty of the grounds and scenictrails. Richard H. Jenrette purchased the house in 1985,meticulously restored it to its original splendor, and gaveit to CAHPT as a house museum in 1993. On display areperiod furnishings that include examples by DuncanPhyfe, Charles-Honoré Lannuier, and John and ThomasSeymour. Also of special interest are portraits of WilliamKirkland by Jacob Marling and Thomas Jefferson byEzra Ames, as well as a rare complete set of 51 etchingsof North Carolina architecture by Louis Orr.

For more information about the house and grounds,visitwww.classicalamericanhomes.org

E King St

Poet’s Walk

AyrMount

James M. JohnstonNaturePreserve

E Tryon StSt Mary’s Rd

St Mary’s Rd

Eno River

Eno River

Hwy 70

Hwy 70A

Hwy 70A

N Cam

eron St

N Churton St

S Ch

urto

n S

tOl

d N

C 86

Eliza

beth

Bra

dy R

d

Eno River HOSTHistoricOcconeechee

SpeedwayTrail

HOST

Above: West Parlor features a portrait of Thomas Jefferson by Ezra Ames and theKirklands’ elegant Broadwood fortepiano

at right. (photo Bruce Schwarz)Left: Guided group tours are conductedyear-round, see our website for details.

Below: A walk, run or stroll on the trailis perfect for history buffs, dog walkers

and nature enthusiasts alike.

Ayr Mount’s back terrace beckons visitors to sit andenjoy the lush grounds. (photo Kent Murray)

The Eno River gracefully connects the three sites:Ayr Mount; HOST; and the JMJ Nature Preserve.